Machine for end finding of strand



March 18, 1969 J. KALLENBORN MACHINE FOR END FINDING OF STRAND Sheet Filed Aug. 22, 1967 Illrllll F o 1 JOHN KALLENfiOfi/V BY WM W ATTORNEY;

March 18, 1969 J. KALLEN BORN 3,433,423

MACHINE FOR END FINDING OF STRAND Filed Aug. 22, 1967 Sheet 3 of 2 FIG. 2

mvsmoa JOHN KALLENBOEN A ORNEYS United States Patent 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Before stand on a forming package is placed on a twist and ply frame or the like for twisting and plying or other operation, it is customary to locate or find a good end of the strand on the forming package. This entails transferring a relatively small quantity of strand from the forming package to another tube or package making sure that the strand integrity is satisfactory for at least a few yards on the forming package. To assist in this operation, a machine having a rotatable table is provided with a plurality of pairs of spindles extending therefrom around the periphery. Each pair of spindles is rotatable and each spindle is adapted to receive a tube, either the forming tube or a tube for receiving a few yards of the strand from a forming tube. The tubes may be of different diameters, so that the spindles are drivingly connected such that the peripheral speeds of the tubes are substantially equal. A slip clutch is generally provided in one spindle drive.

Background of the invention This invention relates to the manufacture of fibrous strand or yarn material and will be described with respect to its applicability in the process of manufacturing fiber glass yarn, although the invention can be used in the manufacture of other yarns, either of natural or synthetic origin.

In the process of manufacturing fiber glass yarn, glass fibers or filaments are drawn from a supply of molten glass through orifices in a bushing, the fibers are gathered into a strand and the strand is wound on a package, called a forming package. A binder is applied to the fibers, so as to maintain strand integrity. The winding force, that rotative force applied to the cylindrical forming tube on a collet of a winder, applied the attenuating force to the fibers. The strand is traversed onto the tube as a plurality of layers extending from end to end on the forming tube.

After the desired or selected yardage is collected, as determined by the weight of the forming package (the diameter being known), the filled forming package is removed from the winder, placed on a conveyor and conveyed from the forming room to the processing room. In the processing room, a plurality of strands are gathered together, as on a twist and ply frame, to form yarn. The yarn is wound on a rotating bobbin.

Before the strand is twisted and plyed to form the yarn, the strand of a plurality of forming packages is threaded into the twist and ply frame. To so thread the strand, the end of the strand must be located. Finding the end is called end-finding and is accomplished by trained operators.

Heretofore, end-finding was performed using a boardlike frame having a plurality of holders thereon for receiving forming packages and a pair of rotatable spindles, one for a forming package and the other for a tube on which a relatively small quantity of the strand from the package was collected, so as to determine whether or not an entire strand was being removed and also as a test of the continuity of the strand.

3,433,423 Patented Mar. 18, 1969 The operator placed a forming tube onto its spindle, found the end, placed the end on the other package and collected some thereon. Then the end was indicated, and the package removed to a conveyor truck for conveying into the twist and ply room. There the strand was threaded into the twist and ply frame.

Summary of the invention In accordance with this invention, a machine is provided for holding and rotating the various tubes, and the machine table from which a plurality of spindles is mounted is rotatable driven by an electric motor. Each station of the machine, of which there are a plurality, is equipped with a pair of spindles, one for receiving a forming tube and the other for a tube to receive footage from the forming tube. Each pair of spindles is drivingly connected for concurrent rotation by a belt drive. A slip clutch is included in one spindle of each pair to ensure equal peripheral speed of the packages because there may be a difference in their diameters and also to maintain substantially consistent tension on the strand being rewound.

The table is continuously rotated and brings each pair of spindles to a position where the operator finds the end. At this position, at least, the tubes are rotated; at other positions, the driving connection to the pairs of spindles and thus the tubes are disconnected. At the latter position, the spindles are loaded and unloaded, as the case may be.

Loading is generally accomplished by placing filled forming tubes on the appropriate spindle. The filled forming tubes are conveyed to the end finding machine from the forming room. The tube onto which a small footage is Wound from the forming package need not be removed until it is filled, after which it is removed and replaced with an empty tube. When an end has been found on a forming package and it has been determined that the strand integrity is good, the strand from the forming package to the other tube is severed, and the package is placed [on a conveyor or a rack to be conveyed into the processing room and to the twist and ply frames where the strand is fed thereonto and processed int-o yarn.

Brief description 0] the drawings FIG. 1 is a plan view of the end-finding apparatus of this invention, with parts broken away, and

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

Description 0 the preferred embodiment Looking at the drawings, the machine of this invention includes a pyrainided base 10 defined by four legs 12 connected to a central, vertical sleeve 14 and interconnected by a platform 16. A vertical shaft 18 passes through the sleeve 14 and is journaled therein for rotation by spaced bearings 20, 22. The shaft 18 is connected, through a coupling 24, to the drive of a speed reducer 26, of conventional design, which is supported on the platform 16. The speed reducer 26 is driven by an electric motor 28, also supported on the platform 16 through pulleys and a belt therebetween, the driving arrangement being identified as 30. A circular plate 32 is connected to the shaft 18 and is driven thereby.

A pair of spaced circular plates 34 and 36 are connected to a hub structure 38 which is journaled by ball bearings 40, 42 for rotation about the sleeve 14. The plate 34 is connected by a plurality of channels 44 (only one of which is shown) to an annular plate 46 which together with its supporting structure forms a table, as has been described. An annular angular track 48 is formed by the plate 46, as is illustrated in FIG. 2. Suitable crossbracing of the structure of plates 34, 36, 46, and channels 44 is generally provided for rigidity, but is not illustrated.

The track 48 is engaged and rotatably driven by a frietion drive wheel 50 connected to the shaft of a gear reducer 52 driven by an electric motor 54 through a pulley and belt drive arrangement 56.

A series of pairs of parallel spindles 58 and 60 are rotatably journaled in pillow blocks 62 and 64, respectively, connected to the plate 46, and the spindle 58 is radially disposed and is journaled in pillow block 66 connected to the plate 34. Each spindle 58 and 60 extends beyond the outer periphery of the plate 46 to receive an adaptor 68, 70 thereon on which is received a forming package 72 and an end-finding package 74, respectively. Each pair of spindles is connected for concurrent rotation by means of a belt and pulley drive arrangement 76, and the spindle 60 has incorporated therein a slip clutch 78 in its spindle-pulley juncture in order that some slippage can occur to ensure uniform peripheral speed and tension of the fiber.

In order to rotate the spindles 58 and 60, the spindle 58 has connected thereto a friction drive wheel 80, which in certain positions frictionally engages the rotating disc 32.

To drivingly connect the disc 32 and the wheel 80, a cam arrangement is provided. A cam 82 is supported on the frame 10 and is engaged by a friction roller 84 supported on a lever 86 pivoted at 88 from an ear 90 connected to the plate 36.

A yoke 92 engages the friction wheel 80 and moves the wheel 80 against a spring 94 on the spindle S8 to either drivingly connect or disconnect the spindle 58 and the disc 32, depending upon the cam 82.

In operation, with the electric motors 28 and 54 operating, the disc 32 and the plate 46 will be rotating. The spindles 58 and 60, which are drivingly connected to the plate 34, will also be rotating. The friction drive wheels 80 of some of the spindles will be out of engagement with the disc 32, so that those spindles at some positions will not be operated.

When spindle 58 is driven, then spindle 60 also will be rotating thru friction clutch 78. The spindle 60 because of the ratio of the pulleys rotates at a speed in excess of the spindle 58 such that the peripheral speeds of the tubes and strand thereon are travelling at substantially the same speed. However, in order to maintain this substantially constant speed, the clutch 78 must slip and thus, the strand between the two packages will be maintained under some degree of positive tension.

An operator places a forming package on a spindle adaptor 68 and periodically an end-finding package on a spindle adaptor 70 while the spindles are not rotating, the end-finding package being removed only after a period of time, generally not at the same time as the forming package is removed. When the proper position occurs, an end of the forming package is wrapped around the other package and the packages move to the rotating positions where a quantity of strand from the forming package is transferred to the other package. The packages progress to a non-rotating position and the strand, if integral between the packages, is cut, the good end, which has been found, is taped with pressure sensitive tape to the package, and the forming package is transferred to a rack for loading to a twist and ply frame. Taping of the found end is an indication of a definite location of a good end. Another forming package is placed on the spindle and the procedure is repeated.

I claim:

1. A machine for use in the end finding of a strand of fibers on a forming package prior to transfer to a creel or the like comprising (a) a rotatable table,

(b) means for rotating said table,

(c) at least one pair of spaced rotatable spindles supported by and extending outwardly from said table, each of said spindles being adapted to receive a cylindrical tube thereon,

(d) means coupling each pair of spindles for concurrent rotation with the peripheral speeds of the tubes thereon being substantially equal, and

(e) means for rotating each pair of spindles.

2. A machine as recited in claim 1, further including a belt drive arrangement for coupling each pair of spindles for concurrent rotation.

3. A machine as recited in claim 2, further including a slip clutch coupling one spindle of each pair to said belt drive in order to ensure substantially equal peripheral speed of said tubes on said pair of spindles.

4. A machine as recited in claim 1 wherein said drive for rotating said table includes a circular flanged member connected to said table and a driven rotating friction member engaging said flanged member.

5. A machine as recited in claim 1 wherein said means for rotating each pair of spindles includes a driven disc and a friction member engaging the driven disc and connected to one spindle of each pair, and a belt drive interconnecting the spindles of each pair.

6. A machine as recited in claim 5 further including means for disconnecting said friction member and said driven disc comprising a pivoted lever movable to urge said friction member from engaging said driven disc and a cam means controlling the pivoted lever.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,986,352 5/1961 Dumbauld 24235.5 3,055,603 9/1962 DeFore et a] 242-35.5 3,062,462 11/1962 Schweiter 24235.5 3,227,116 1/1966 Ferguson et al. 24235.5 X

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner. 

